Charles e



(No Model.)

j C. E.LONGDEN.

INFLATABLE BALL.

N0. 601,520. Patented Mar. 29,1898.

UNITED STATES.

ATENT FFICE.

CHARLES E. LONGDEN, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE SEAMLESSRUBBER COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

INFLATABLE BALL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 601 ,520, dated March29, 1898.

Application filed October 7, 1897. Serial No. 654,367. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. LONGDEN, of New Haven, in the county ofNew Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented anew Improvement inInflatable Balls; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings and the letters of referencemarked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of lo thesame, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, andrepresent, in

Figure l, a perspective View of afoot-ball embodying my invention; Fig.2, a perspective view of, the inflated bladder with the I 5 auxiliarycover thereon; Fig. 3, a sectional view of a portion of the casing,bladder, and auxiliary cover, enlarged.

This invention relates to an improvement in inflatable ballssuch asfoot-balls, strik- 2o ing-bags, and other devices in which an outershell or casing of leather or other hard material is employed as aprotector for the inflatable bladder which is inserted therein. In theusual construction of the casing the edges of the Various sections ofwhich it is composed are turned inward and thereby form an edge againstwhich the bladder is expanded and which in the rough usage to whichballs of this character are subjected soon wears or cuts the bladder,necessitating the substitution of a new one therefor.

The object of this invention is to insert a protector between the innersurface of the casing or cover and the outer surface of the bladder, soas to protect the surface of the bladder from wear and the cuttingaction of the inturned edges of the casing; and it consists in formingan auxiliary cover for the bladder, of canvas or other suitablematerial, 0 which casing corresponds substantially in form and size tothe outer casing or cover, and as more fully hereinafter described, andparticularly recited in theclaim.

For convenience of illustration I have shown is apparent that it isequally applicable to striking-bags or other devices employing an outercasing and an inflating-bladder.

A represents the casing or cover, which is usually formed from leatherand made up of four or more sections, according to the form required,the edges a of which are turned inward and united. The casing is alsoprovided with the usual lacing B. The bladder C is also of usualconstruction adapted for insertion into the shell or casing, andprovided with the usual inflating-tube D. Around the outside of thebladder is placed an auxiliary cover E, of light canvas or othersuitable flexible material, which closely conforms in shape to theinternal form of the shell or casing and is adapted to be inserted withthe bladder into'the case or cover A. The edges 1) of this case or coverare turned outward and may be united in any desirable manner, either bylapped scams or otherwise, as the material is so thin that the jointwill not affect the bladder. This auxiliary cover might be said to forman inner lining for the case or shell and so as to cover'the edges a aand prevent the abrasion of the bladder therefrom, as it forms a smoothsurface over the edges, upon which the bladder may stretch. Theauxiliary cover adds but little to the initial cost of the ball, and byavoiding the wear and preventing the rupture of the bladder the expenseand trouble of procuring and inserting new bladders is avoided.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

In an inflatable ball, the combination with an outer sectional case, theseamed edges of which are turned inward and an inflatable bladder withinsaid case, of an auxiliary cover surrounding said bladder, which isthereby protected from injury by said inturned edges, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscrib- 9o ing witnesses.

CHARLES E. LONGDEN.

Witnesses:

S. F. FooTE, D. B. MARTIN.

